A NEW council team to crack down on dog fouling and littering will hit the streets next month.

Pendle Council has a created six-man team, at no extra cost to the local authority, to walk the streets from Monday, February 18.

The decision was made after feedback from a council survey showed clean streets and tackling dog fouling and littering were the top of residents' priorities.

Littering is an environmental crime and the fine for littering has recently increased to £150, or £80 for early payment and the fine for dog fouling has increased from £75 to £100.

Pendle Council leader, Cllr Paul White, said: "We’re having a new crackdown on people who are bringing parts of Pendle down.

“As councillors, the number one complaint we get is about dog dirt and littering.

“We’ve listened to residents and we’re taking tough action to clamp down on those who litter and on people who don’t clean up after their dogs.

“The aim is simply to make Pendle a cleaner place, because it’s infuriating for those residents who do look after our area to see others spoiling it.

"The new team of uniformed enforcers with cameras and will be giving people who litter or don’t clear up after their dogs strong warnings.

"But from Monday, February 25, they’ll be getting tough and issuing on the spot fines."

The decision follows finding out how teams of district enforcers have worked well in other areas, including Rossendale and Blackburn with Darwen.